LAFC and LD Alajuelense Draw in First Leg
LAFC played LD Alajuelense to a 1-1 draw in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 on March 10, 2026, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The match featured a significant disparity in shots, with LAFC outshooting Alajuelense 28 to 4.
Alejandro Bran opened the scoring for Alajuelense in the 44th minute, breaking LAFC’s impressive streak of 443 minutes without conceding a goal. However, Denis Bouanga equalized for LAFC in the 56th minute, marking his fourth goal in the 2026 Champions Cup, making him the top scorer in the competition this year.
LAFC remains unbeaten in 2026, holding a record of 5-0-1, and is 2-0-1 in the Champions Cup this year. Historically, LAFC has qualified for Concacaf play four times and has a strong home record of 7-2-1 in Concacaf competitions.
Marc Dos Santos, LAFC’s head coach, expressed confidence despite the draw, stating, “If you’re going to draw or lose a game I prefer it’s us on the front foot and always pushing.” His sentiments were echoed by player Ryan Hollingshead, who noted, “This isn’t time to sound the alarm. We knew going into this that it was 180 minutes. We’re tied and now we gotta go get a result in Costa Rica.”
LAFC will face Alajuelense again in the second leg on March 17, 2026, in Costa Rica, with kickoff scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT. Observers expect a competitive rematch as both teams vie for a place in the next round of the tournament.
